Brood
by BML Hillen-Keene
Summary: A new take on prophecies and the path to destroying the Dark Lord. No Harry Potter here!Involves Percy, Oliver, Marcus, Penolope and a OC. PWMF.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

_This story is being rethought out, and re-edited, hence it becoming two chapters instead of one for the moment. I shall update once I have a better plotlie for the story. which shall hopefully be soon._

**BROOD**

_Prologue_

"Get them out of here." Percy snapped his normally blue eyes flashing red. "Oliver get them out of here! They're not part of the brood."

"You've never fully done it Percy-" Oliver began.

Percy spun to face him, his expression was not human. "Phoenix." He hissed. "Take them out of here, they are not of the brood-I will not have them here. Get them out."

"Dragon." Oliver said, overwhelmed by the command, he bowed and turned. His own eyes had turned from brown to a fiery orange. "Come with me."

The twins stood in shock, their eyes flicking back and forth between Percy and Oliver. "What the-" they began.

Finally Marcus Flint lost his temper and stalked to them, his walk wavering, almost like he was drunk, he ducked his head, his eyes were slitted, like a snakes. "You are ruining our joining-get out of the room little boys." His lip quirked, showing long and dangerous fangs.

The twin's gulped in unison and backed away.

Oliver smiled; he looked very different now, apart from the eyes there was a kind of tangible energy, a magic coming off him, enveloping him, like flames, rising up like wings behind him, gold, red and orange like flames. The doors slammed open behind them, and with a faint wave of his hand Oliver set the Twin's lightly down outside. "Don't move." He said.

As the doors closed, Fred and George caught a final glance at Percy as magic went haywire in the room, like a rainbow had erupted, colours went everywhere, and just as the doors closed a black shadow rose from where Percy had been standing.


	2. And so it begins

_And so it begins_

When they say you need the power of three to achieve a magical balance and promote the highest of all spells, they are lying. After all, nothing comes in threes. Magic-or most forms of it-are based upon the four elements, Fire, Water, Air and Earth. That would bring the number to four, a more symmetrical number, therefore a better balance, yes? Of course.

But when one considers these four separate elements you discover that there is no true balance-something is needed to bind them together so that harmony and balance can be achieved, and through this the access to the higher levels of magic can be achieved.

And this brings the total up to five.

There is a prophecy, as there is for most things about the four elements and their binding force. However, it was lost in the folds of time, and to this day has not been found-though the details of it have come to pass-so far as we know.

It all started on the day the Dragon, Phoenix, Snake, Sphinx and Unicorn came together that first time. The air was alive with magic, so none but themselves noticed the subtle changes within themselves. And even they did not understand.

For it is a complicated process for those five creatures to come together, for the four elements to rally under the fifth. But it began on platform 9 ¾, on the first day of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the students of the school clambered on board the train, said goodbye to their parents, ran up and down the platform to find the friends they had met only last year.

In the middle of this commotion stood a child, ten years old with a shock of red hair, separated from his mother when his younger brothers, twins, had decided to pull a disappearing act. He had easily been left behind, unable to follow his mother through the crowd. So he stood, waiting for the crowd to disperse enough for him to get through and find his family before the train left.

While he was waiting two girls, around eleven stepped into his line of sight; a small circle seemed to be growing around them. The two girls stopped, letting their trunks drop, still talking animatedly. One was tall with pretty blond curls dancing round her face and shoulders; the other was smaller, with jet black hair that hung past her waist. They had met just seconds before entering the circle and something had clicked.

The red headed boy watched them in mild curiosity before his attention was diverted by the appearance of a burly boy with brown hair, and a scowl fixed on his face, his aunt and uncle had left him to make his own way to the platform, a fact he was none to happy about. He kicked his trunk irritably after he'd let it drop and looked over at the train.

In that second the fifth walked into the circle, a compact boy with brown hair and laughing brown eyes, talking excitedly about Quiddich with his father.

Time froze, only for a moment as the magic bounced between them.

And then it was done, the boy left the circle, still talking excitedly about Quiddich with his father. The boy with the scowl kicked his trunk again for good measure before starting to pull it toward the train. The two girls, having decided that they had had enough of a rest began to tug their own trunks towards the train. Leaving the red headed boy standing, the smallest of frowns on his face at what had just passed.

"Percy! There you are! I'd thought I'd lost you too!"

The red headed boy looked round to see his mother, the twins, his youngest brother and baby sister all standing there. He smiled. "I couldn't get through the crowd."

She gave him a good, long, hard hug. "You'd best get on the train love, you don't want to miss it."

"Bye mum." He said, hugging her back.

Fifteen minutes later he was on the train heading to Hogwarts, that strange instance on the platform forgotten for now.

And that was how it began.

For they had yet to become a brood, a family. That would come with time.

For now, they were aware.

Nothing particularly astounding happened in the first year, the red headed boy, also know more commonly as Percy Weasely was put into Gryffindor house after nearly ten minutes deliberation on behalf of the Sorting Hat. The only reason it didn't go on longer was because Percy, becoming a little annoyed at the indecisiveness of the hat snapped that it should just pick a house to put him in. so the hat had picked Gryffindor, because that was where Weasely's usually ended up, though he was apparently well suited for all four houses-something the hat had never encountered before.

The blond haired girl, Penelope Clearwater as it turned out, was placed in Ravenclaw because she showed something the Sorting Hat had not seen in a long time. It appeared that Penelope was a seer, though she had yet to come into her full power. But that was only a matter of time.

The black haired girl, by the name of Helen Bubbles, was put in Hufflepuff, because she possessed great heart and a fierce loyalty. Her thoughts and actions were the very heart of purity, and they would, the Sorting Hat noted, remain so throughout her life.

The scowling boy, a Marcus Flint, was placed in Slytherian because he was full of a cunning and intelligence none would have granted him on first sight or meeting.

The Quiddich obsessed boy, Oliver Wood, was placed in Gryffindor, for his bravery and his passion, he was true of heart and loyal-the epitome of all things Gryffindor.

And so they were settled, each element in its proper place.

It became obvious early on that these five could not be enemies-though Oliver and Marcus did give it their very best shot, in the beginning. Fire and earth had never been truly compatible, but that was of course, why there was a binding force to keep them in check.

It had started off as a simple disagreement over Quiddich, Percy and Oliver had been disagreeing over a player, and Marcus, drawn over to them had thrown in a comment about the team-which sparked Oliver's temper.

Percy, wisely stayed out of it, but the argument escalated to a full blown shouting match, which would have come to blows had Percy not felt a sudden throbbing between his eyes, and seeing Oliver's fist clench, he just had to stop them, he didn't know why, he just did. He easily pushed between them, facing Oliver, who just managed to avert his punch in time to miss Percy's nose.

"What're you protecting him for!" Oliver demanded.

Percy frowned at him. "Because you shouldn't be fighting!" he snapped, and hearing Marcus' snicker behind him he turned. "Don't think I don't mean you too!"

Marcus blinked at him, but stopped snickering. "You can't tell me what to do-stupid Gryffindor." He said snidely. It was too early yet, they were not closely enough bound for Marcus to be unable to say such a thing-but over time it became more and more difficult for him to disregard or insult Percy.

Oliver however, being in such close quarters already had a hard time disobeying the red head, especially when he drew himself up to his full height, which was only slightly smaller than Marcus and Oliver, and using what would later in life be termed his 'Perfect Percy' voice. "I can and I will!" he said, surprising himself that he was taking a stand on this. "You shouldn't be fighting! Can't you feel it?" he asked-he could, deep down he knew they shouldn't be.

It became obvious later in the year that it was only Marcus and Oliver that Percy had the problem fighting each other, Oliver could have easily punch another Slytherian, and Marcus another Gryffindor, but not each other. Something rebelled against it. Maybe it was Percy, but neither knew, and neither asked. So they settled for glares and yelling matches.

Percy himself could not explain it, he just knew that they shouldn't be fighting; he tensed up when it looked like they were coming to blows, a pressure creeping between his eyes, like a storm. And if either got into a fight with someone else he always felt an irrational need to jump to their defence, like some kind of protector. It was the same with the two girls, Penelope and Helen. There was always that same protective surge that went through him when he saw them.

Too young to really understand what it meant, though he looked it up in any number of books, he eventually chalked it up to the fact that he was an older brother, and without his younger siblings to look after he projected onto others. What he couldn't figure out though, was why he had projected them onto those four specific people.

He was too young to understand the true meaning behind what was happening-as where they all. But the first thought that goes through the mind of a parent is to protect their young, and truly, that was all Percy was doing, to the smallest degree. He was protecting his brood-even if it was those within it from each other.


	3. The Prohecy

_The Prophecy_

Many years passed, and though they still did not know why the five continued to grow closer, so close in fact, that it was beginning to become a danger, though again they could not understand. They did not know of the secrecy that should surround what they were. It was Percy who decided that, in order to make sure that none of them were made targets by their houses for hanging out together, mostly for Marcus' sake, they should meet in secret.

Marcus had been drawn in more slowly than the others, because of his house, because of what he himself represented for that house. He would never call them friends, at least, not yet. It would take something more to change that view. Because he was a Slytherin, he was the outcast, he was the one who could not openly be with the others, could not openly be with Percy. He didn't understand it, spent the years denying this feeling, need, jealousy. Taking it out on Oliver who was always with Percy, always with the leader.

Percy had approached him in their second year, and offered him friendship, and Marcus had accepted without thinking. Now, in their fourth year they were closer, meeting in a secret room late at night, for no other reason than they needed to. They needed to be together. Understanding was not complete, but soon… soon it would be.

Penelope had been having dreams, dreams she could not fully remember nor fully explain, but they came, night after night. So she went to the one person she trusted could explain. Percy. And though he didn't not know the answer he comforted her, because it felt right. He told her it would become clear when it was supposed to.

Two nights later it did.

"_Snake." Percy said, turning to the fireplace where Marcus' head was floating, waiting patiently. "What news?"_

"_They intend to strike the ministry." Marcus responded. "There is no set date yet, I shall keep you informed, Dragon."_

_Percy smiled, a surprisingly tender smile for the situation. "Go, and be careful." was the warning._

"_I shall Dragon." and Marcus' head disappeared. _

_Percy turned to the rest of them, seated round a small table. "Phoenix, I want you to keep a closer eye on your patrols, we can't afford to be caught off guard." Oliver nodded, Percy smiled before turning his gaze to Helen. "Unicorn, have you made sure the school is safe?"_

"_The ward as reinforced." Helen said._

"_And no one suspects you?"_

"_No Dragon."_

"_Good, Sphinx," his eyes landed on Penelope, "Any more visions?"_

_Penelope shook her head._

"_And the bank?"_

"_No overt spending from the deatheaters Dragon." she replied._

_Percy nodded. "We have too much at stake, I know I do not need t tell you to be careful and not to be caught out. The brood cannot be discovered, no matter what. We are not at full strength, and I will not have you in danger from them until I can protect you!" his tone became frustrated._

"_Dragon," Oliver began._

"_No, Phoenix, Oliver… No. I know it will come when it is supposed to. I will take the news of the attack to the Order. Now Go, and be careful!" he tld them._

_It was not so much an order, as a suggestion they could not refuse. They nodded._

_The magic spun, out of control, spreading into the four standing on the ancient elemental stones, driving through their bodies, lending them strength they ad never felt. And from that chaos of magic rose a shadow, dancing with multicoloured strands of pulsating magic. And the eyes opened, red and piercing. And from it's back sprang two long, pointed wings, which stretched across the room. And the call rose high above them, surrounding them with a warmth._

_The Brood…_

Penelope woke with a start, and without stopping to even think she was out of her bed and sneaking her way through the corridors to the room where they met, to find Percy already there, waiting.

"The dream again?" he asked quietly.

"The Brood!" she cried, falling into his open arms, "Percy…" she pulled back and looked at him, studying his face carefully, seeing the man he would become. "Dragon…"

Percy frowned slightly, he pulled her towards the sofa at the back of the room. "Sit, tell me everything." he told her softly.

She nodded, and told him every detail of her dream. He listened carefully, and when she was done he looked thoughtful. "I don't know what all this is about," he said finally. "But you're a seer Penny, and what you see is the future. And it's ours. We just have to wait." he smiled at her, gathering her in for a hug and pressing a kiss on her forehead. " Go back to bed Penny, and don't worry. I'll find out what's going on."

Penelope nodded slowly. "Thank you Percy."

Percy smiled and watched her go, waiting for the door to close before he dropped into his own thoughts.

The next weeks for Percy was all about research, trying to discover something about elements, broods, dragons, unicorns snakes, phoenix's and sphinx's. But he could find nothing that made any sense, nothing that tied into Penelope's vision. But perhaps that was because they were the first, or perhaps the secrecy extended to writings about it. There was no other explanation he could think of.

Time continued to pass, and as it did their bond as a group began to grow, turning into something more that none of them yet understood fully. The names Penelope had told them about were quickly adopted in private between them. They became a secret society with only five members, almost interceptably they began to change to hide this 'society'. Percy became the most strict, snobbish and uptight prefect in fifth year. Marcus became a bully. Oliver became obsessed with Quiddich to an even bigger degree. Helen and Penelope drifted apart, and became immersed in their own things, studying and magical creatures.

To the outside world these four became like separate entity's, no one suspected that they met every night after curfew, that they began to sneak in fire whiskey by the time they hit sixth year, that these five completely different people were not only friends, but something much, much more.

They allowed the outside world to see what they wanted them to see. Because Percy had come to the decision that they were supposed to be a secret, so they might as well make sure they remained one. That way when they did eventually find out what was going on, which they would, Percy had no doubts in Penelope's vision, they would not have to work so hard at becoming this strange 'Brood'.

Little did they know that it would come sooner than they ever imagined.

_Short, I know, and I'm sorry. Not a lot of action yet. but, I have now finshed the overveiw of the first yearsof the Brood. now we shall begin to get into the proper story. Harry Potter, the Order, and the other one's in the original don't feature in this, except in rare cameo's. at any rate. reveiw please. thank you!_


End file.
